Scanway Space, a Polish optical systems manufacturer, has landed its initial contract with an American firm. Intuitive Machines has commissioned them to create a multispectral telescope to map the moon's surface. As Scanway CEO Jędrzej Kowalewski told SpaceNews, the optical instrument, scheduled for a 2026 launch, will help Intuitive Machines identify lunar minerals from orbit.
These minerals include ilmenite, containing titanium, iron, and oxygen, potentially useful for constructing lunar colonies, according to Kowalewski. The contract's financial details remain undisclosed. Scanway is expanding its product range with larger "telescopes the size of an SUV," according to their press release. The focus is on developing Earth observation satellites with sub-meter ground sampling resolution to attract orders from major space industry players.
The company aims to meet established client needs while expanding globally and securing international agreements. Kowalewski stated, “We want to achieve increasingly larger diameters and resolutions, including hyper- and multi-spectral instruments. We also develop systems for space inspection, such as wide-angle cameras.” Earlier this year, Scanway partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a multispectral data processing system for lunar imagery from the Intuitive Machines' optical instrument.
They will deliver a complete satellite data processing system. These contracts coincide with Scanway's rapid growth, reaching 11.6 million Polish złoty ($3.2 million) in revenue for the first half of 2025, a 119% increase over the same period in 2024, the company reports. Beyond the U.S., Kowalewski noted Scanway has secured deals globally. "At the same time, the American market is very important to us, and we also want to grow our presence there,” Kowalewski said.
In Poland, Scanway contributes to the 59 million euro ($68.75 million) Country Awareness Mission in Land Analysis (CAMILA) satellite constellation project, funded by the ESA. This project is led by the Polish space firm Creotech Instruments, with several Polish subcontractors. Scanway is also providing a telescope for the first PIAST satellite constellation, being developed for the Polish Ministry of National Defense. In late September, Scanway unveiled its 2026-2028 strategy, aiming to become a leading optical payload integrator in Europe.